Comments on: Mob office http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/ by Jeff Jarvis Fri, 10 Feb 2012 09:43:34 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 hourly 1 By: Glyn http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-126611 Glyn Thu, 07 Sep 2006 20:32:13 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-126611 Please people, don't concentrate all your fire on the BBC. Ricky Gervais was talking about the OTHER British networks as well (ITV, Channel 4, Sky). And I agree with him. There's nothing on the British networks to match, for example, CSI. I think it's true that we Brits only see the very best of your programs, but the best American programs are very, very good. What does disappoint me is that we very rarely now see good European programs (whether subtitled or dubbed) whereas we did 20 years ago, and I don't see the reason for that. And the only Australian progs that we see are the soap operas. BY THE WAY, I have a beef or query for you. At about 1am British time, the BBC replays the evening edition of the news broadcast "World News Tonight" (ABC? CBS? I forget) and there's NEVER any World News in it. It's an excellent program, but why don't they change the name? Please people, don’t concentrate all your fire on the BBC. Ricky Gervais was talking about the OTHER British networks as well (ITV, Channel 4, Sky). And I agree with him. There’s nothing on the British networks to match, for example, CSI. I think it’s true that we Brits only see the very best of your programs, but the best American programs are very, very good.

What does disappoint me is that we very rarely now see good European programs (whether subtitled or dubbed) whereas we did 20 years ago, and I don’t see the reason for that. And the only Australian progs that we see are the soap operas.

BY THE WAY, I have a beef or query for you. At about 1am British time, the BBC replays the evening edition of the news broadcast “World News Tonight” (ABC? CBS? I forget) and there’s NEVER any World News in it. It’s an excellent program, but why don’t they change the name?

]]> By: Andrew http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-126021 Andrew Wed, 06 Sep 2006 23:21:02 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-126021 Is the Wire even on in the UK? Is the Wire even on in the UK?

]]> By: Jim Karna http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-125667 Jim Karna Wed, 06 Sep 2006 09:52:18 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-125667 The BBC is in a bit of a no win situation, stuck between having to provide a public service while being populist enough to compete in the ratings. Its at it's worst when it tries to do both at the same time. WillS - i think what you get for the £120 BBC tax is pretty good value for money Perhaps i'm just one of the lads who's been indoctrinated by it, or a trendy idiot The BBC is in a bit of a no win situation, stuck between having to provide a public service while being populist enough to compete in the ratings. Its at it’s worst when it tries to do both at the same time.

WillS – i think what you get for the £120 BBC tax is pretty good value for money

Perhaps i’m just one of the lads who’s been indoctrinated by it, or a trendy idiot

]]> By: Jim Treacher http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-125568 Jim Treacher Wed, 06 Sep 2006 06:48:55 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-125568 Spooks is good, but no way is it "much better" than The Wire. Spooks is good, but no way is it “much better” than The Wire.

]]> By: Rich Banner http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-125433 Rich Banner Wed, 06 Sep 2006 02:34:36 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-125433 Think of the BBC as more of a video Pravda, in a parallel universe only Brits could pull off. You could be talking to a 20 year old, neo-punker from Manchester who hates everything and he would defend the BBC. It’s a very impressive bit of indoctrination and control. Try to get the lads to disapprove of the Corporation next time you are there. Brits are the world’s best whiners--bar none. And I don’t necessarily mean that as a negative because their ability for constructive criticism is also rather impressive. But mum is unquestionably the word when it comes to bashing the BBC, which is very fascinating. <em>“though it is beholden to politicians, eh?”</em> You naive, silly man! For some reason that line of thinking is strictly prohibited, some would say blasphemy. On this tour did you happen to see the training grounds for the snarling, female newsreaders? I always wondered what that would be like. Did you get a change to throw them a piece of meat? Sorry, a slab of tofu because of course, they are going to painfully predictable vegetarians. Think of the BBC as more of a video Pravda, in a parallel universe only Brits could pull off. You could be talking to a 20 year old, neo-punker from Manchester who hates everything and he would defend the BBC. It’s a very impressive bit of indoctrination and control.

Try to get the lads to disapprove of the Corporation next time you are there. Brits are the world’s best whiners–bar none. And I don’t necessarily mean that as a negative because their ability for constructive criticism is also rather impressive. But mum is unquestionably the word when it comes to bashing the BBC, which is very fascinating.

“though it is beholden to politicians, eh?” You naive, silly man! For some reason that line of thinking is strictly prohibited, some would say blasphemy.

On this tour did you happen to see the training grounds for the snarling, female newsreaders? I always wondered what that would be like. Did you get a change to throw them a piece of meat? Sorry, a slab of tofu because of course, they are going to painfully predictable vegetarians.

]]> By: Grayson http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-125260 Grayson Tue, 05 Sep 2006 21:55:21 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-125260 If we only had original programming (from any country) that did a Larry David/Jane Austen kinda hybrid... If we only had original programming (from any country) that did a Larry David/Jane Austen kinda hybrid…

]]> By: TV Scoop blogger http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-125139 TV Scoop blogger Tue, 05 Sep 2006 18:53:31 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-125139 But when it comes to TV, choice doesn't always yield quality does it? Isn't that part of the reason UK telly isn't as good as it could be? Twenty years ago millions of Britons would sit down to watch with their families on say a Saturday night. What do we get today, when there is so much more 'choice'? Love Island, a comedy set in a brothel (not the same thing!) and Animals do the funniest things. There are still some amazing UK TV shows though - Shameless is the first to spring to mind and that's quality drama. As I also blog at http://www.corrieblog.tv I'd also dare to suggest that the long running soaps still have flashes of brilliance - though arguably not quite matching Samuel L Jackson being flummoxed by Ashley Jensen! But when it comes to TV, choice doesn’t always yield quality does it? Isn’t that part of the reason UK telly isn’t as good as it could be?

Twenty years ago millions of Britons would sit down to watch with their families on say a Saturday night.

What do we get today, when there is so much more ‘choice’? Love Island, a comedy set in a brothel (not the same thing!) and Animals do the funniest things.

There are still some amazing UK TV shows though – Shameless is the first to spring to mind and that’s quality drama.

As I also blog at http://www.corrieblog.tv I’d also dare to suggest that the long running soaps still have flashes of brilliance – though arguably not quite matching Samuel L Jackson being flummoxed by Ashley Jensen!

]]> By: Andrew Tyndall http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-125135 Andrew Tyndall Tue, 05 Sep 2006 18:49:42 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-125135 Mike G-- I heartily endorse your endorsement of Life on Mars. Instead of producing a police procedural we are offered an existential drama about being trapped in a police procedural. Last night's episode quoted Z Cars and The Prisoner at the same time (both shows that the cops in 1973 would have been familiar with). Mike G–

I heartily endorse your endorsement of Life on Mars. Instead of producing a police procedural we are offered an existential drama about being trapped in a police procedural. Last night’s episode quoted Z Cars and The Prisoner at the same time (both shows that the cops in 1973 would have been familiar with).

]]> By: Joel http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-125111 Joel Tue, 05 Sep 2006 18:04:29 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-125111 I guess this means Ricky hasn't watched the bastardized/dumbed down US version of The Office. I guess this means Ricky hasn’t watched the bastardized/dumbed down US version of The Office.

]]> By: franzstehrn http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-125091 franzstehrn Tue, 05 Sep 2006 17:25:27 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-125091 Jeff, you still didn't get the whole thing about the BBC being a public broadcaster, otherwise you wouldn't write ignorant blather like "though it is beholden to politicians, eh?". And after all you should know better since you've toured the company... Jeff, you still didn’t get the whole thing about the BBC being a public broadcaster, otherwise you wouldn’t write ignorant blather like “though it is beholden to politicians, eh?”. And after all you should know better since you’ve toured the company…

]]> By: Jimmy http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-125089 Jimmy Tue, 05 Sep 2006 17:20:09 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-125089 I would have to disagree with Gervais here. British television already has its version of The Wire and 24 in the much better Spooks (aka MI:6 on A&E). What exactly makes US television so great with five days a week of mostly legal and police procedural shows? Even those pale in comparison to the same types of shows that appear on British television. And don't get me started on the lame American sitcoms. Yeah, British television has its trash: someone please stop making Footballers Wives! But the great thing about British television is that it's willilng to take chances. If a series doesn't do that well, it'll still get a chance to achieve an audience for a year or two before its yanked off there air. In the US, if a good show doesn't pull in stellar ratings, especially among the key demographic, it's gone after two episodes. A show like Dr. Who could never survive on American broadcast networks because the number of people who would watch it -- around 2 million on SciFi -- could never sustatin the show. It would be gone before the next episode was to air. And maybe that's OK, it is a business after all, but even with the commercial base UK networks ratings seems to come second, a close one, but second. Gervais himself would have a hard time getting a national network to air something like Extras considering it barely draws a million viewers on one of the most-subscribed to premium cable networks. I would have to disagree with Gervais here. British television already has its version of The Wire and 24 in the much better Spooks (aka MI:6 on A&E). What exactly makes US television so great with five days a week of mostly legal and police procedural shows? Even those pale in comparison to the same types of shows that appear on British television. And don’t get me started on the lame American sitcoms. Yeah, British television has its trash: someone please stop making Footballers Wives! But the great thing about British television is that it’s willilng to take chances. If a series doesn’t do that well, it’ll still get a chance to achieve an audience for a year or two before its yanked off there air. In the US, if a good show doesn’t pull in stellar ratings, especially among the key demographic, it’s gone after two episodes. A show like Dr. Who could never survive on American broadcast networks because the number of people who would watch it — around 2 million on SciFi — could never sustatin the show. It would be gone before the next episode was to air. And maybe that’s OK, it is a business after all, but even with the commercial base UK networks ratings seems to come second, a close one, but second. Gervais himself would have a hard time getting a national network to air something like Extras considering it barely draws a million viewers on one of the most-subscribed to premium cable networks.

]]> By: Mike G http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-125028 Mike G Tue, 05 Sep 2006 15:59:23 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-125028 Life on Mars and the recent adaptation of Bleak House shown on Masterpiece Theater are both among the best TV shows I've seen lately. Better than Dane Cook, anyway. Life on Mars and the recent adaptation of Bleak House shown on Masterpiece Theater are both among the best TV shows I’ve seen lately.

Better than Dane Cook, anyway.

]]> By: Roon http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-124990 Roon Tue, 05 Sep 2006 15:04:24 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-124990 Although the sci-fi geek in me loves "Doctor Who." The modern incarnation of the show has been successful for the BBC and is being exported to the Sci-Fi Channel in the United States. Season 1 did fairly well and Season 2 kicks off on Sci-Fi in a couple of weeks. Although the sci-fi geek in me loves “Doctor Who.” The modern incarnation of the show has been successful for the BBC and is being exported to the Sci-Fi Channel in the United States. Season 1 did fairly well and Season 2 kicks off on Sci-Fi in a couple of weeks.

]]> By: WillS http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-124936 WillS Tue, 05 Sep 2006 13:02:33 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-124936 The problem with the BBC Jeff, is that it isn't beholden to anybody, the people who fund it (on pain of imprisonment if you dare to own a TV and refuse to pay your BBC tax), the people who watch it or the people who regulate the media over here. It isn't exposed to any market pressure and its programs are commissioned, written, acted and distributed by a small group of trendy idoits who have a very set world view. The system has in the past resulted in some excellent output (documentaries mostly) but today its just a parody of itself. The problem with the BBC Jeff, is that it isn’t beholden to anybody, the people who fund it (on pain of imprisonment if you dare to own a TV and refuse to pay your BBC tax), the people who watch it or the people who regulate the media over here.

It isn’t exposed to any market pressure and its programs are commissioned, written, acted and distributed by a small group of trendy idoits who have a very set world view.

The system has in the past resulted in some excellent output (documentaries mostly) but today its just a parody of itself.

]]> By: Charlie Beckett http://www.buzzmachine.com/2006/09/05/mob-office/#comment-124906 Charlie Beckett Tue, 05 Sep 2006 12:28:01 +0000 http://www.buzzmachine.com/?p=1998#comment-124906 Could Ricky's flattering comments about US TV be in any way connected with the fact that he's desperately looking for US TV money? Could Ricky’s flattering comments about US TV be in any way connected with the fact that he’s desperately looking for US TV money?

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